Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to make it clear that Labor will support the amendments to this bill. They're actually quite crucial. The bill as it was originally drafted would have altered the content of our federal custody notification scheme from an absolute requirement to notify an Aboriginal legal assistance organisation to an obligation to take 'reasonable steps' to notify an Aboriginal legal assistance organisation and provide a two-hour window for that organisation to contact the individual to be questioned. That sounds very technical, but what we're really talking about is what are the obligations on police when they want to question a person who is of First Nations heritage. It is crucially important that an Aboriginal legal service be notified so they can provide support to a First Nations person who needs legal assistance. That's the amendment that's before us and that's what's being clarified here in the House.

This is our parliament at work. The committee process flushed out these issues. We had experts on our side of the House who have been working in this area for decades who were able to provide some historical aspect to what was going on here. Labor went to the government and asked for amendments to be made, and the government in good faith made those amendments. So I'm pleased support what's before the House now.

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